HMOCS : EARLY RETIREMENT
Line to take with Chinese
Ar fifoot (BY Fick
FAXX) 3/6
Are
these versions any
better?
(Mr Goodlad's meeting is postponed)
вь
HICD
3/vi
1. HMOCS officers have pointed out that in almost all previous Dependent Territories the successor government agreed that HMOCS officers should be able to retire early, at the time of the constitutional change or at any point they chose thereafter. They have strongly argued that the same provision should be made in respect of Hong Kong. (Some have argued that such a provision would in practice encourage officers to stay in the Hong Kong public service for longer than would otherwise be the case.)
2. We have reminded the officers that Hong Kong's pensions legislation already provides for early retirement in certain cases. We do not at present envisage proposing any amendment to existing pensions legislation to give HMOCS officers a general right to retire; we should of course wish to consult the Chinese Government before proceeding with any such proposal.
3. Instead we look forward to initiating in due course a wider discussion with the Chinese side about a number of civil service issues, including points of particular interest to HMOCS members: eg the future role of expatriate civil servants, whether in substantive posts or as advisers; the future development of the Hong Kong Government's localisation policy; and the identification of local civil servants who might be nominated for principal official posts under the SARG.
4.
Meanwhile we shall tell the HMOCS officers that, in our future discussions with the Chinese Government about civil service issues generally, we shall use our best endeavours to ensure that arrangements are made which will command the confidence of members of HMOCS.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.